Kelsea Ballerini and Morgan Evans.Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images
Kelsea Balleriniis speaking about the inspiration behind her latest project.
In an interview withThe New York Timespublished Tuesday, the singer-songwriter opens up about the inspirations behind her new EPRolling Up the Welcome Mat, which makes several references to her ex-husband,Morgan Evans.
“I don’t want to lose the openness that I’ve always tried to have,” Ballerini, 29, told the outlet, explaining her decision to open up about divorcing the fellow country star in her new music as well as an interview with theCall Her Daddypodcast.
Before the divorce was finalized in November 2022, Evans, 37, released a ballad called “Over for You” which seemed to allude to his split from Ballerini, who’s now datingOuter BanksstarChase Stokes. He sang: “How long have you been waiting to take our pictures down? / How long have you been breaking? Why am I just finding out? / It kills me to know / That you were drifting alone.”
Rolling Up the Welcome Matwas then released on Valentine’s Day. When asked in theNYTstory if the project was crafted in response to “Over for You,” Ballerini said: “Yes and no.”
The EP was created alongside songwriter-producer Alysa Vanderheym, who told theNYTthat Ballerini “knew exactly what she wanted to say” with the project. “It’s so unfiltered — she just went there, she didn’t even second guess it — which is so inspiring to me,” she said.
Ballerini noted that she didn’t focus on “commercial country artist” appeal but rather pure honesty withRolling Up the Welcome Mat.“I feel really seen, and understood, as an artist right now,” she told the outlet.
source: people.com
